So You Think You Can Dance – Top 14

by Reality Raver

One of my eagle eyed readers wrote earlier this week that she spotted Dan Karaty last Monday night and she was right. He was a special guest choreographer tonight with Mary Murphy giving the judging panel as well.

Amy and Damien – Jazz – Pink – So WhatI was under whelmed by Dan Karaty’s choreography. Isn’t he a hip hop choreographer not jazz? I thought they lost some energy during the routine. I noted that Dan did not choreograph last year in the US for SYTYCD, and was only a judge. Was this because they think he is not great and are now pushing him from the mother ship to the baby shows throughout the world. He was the one who complained about Wade Robson’s peace routine where all the finalist had to dance a solo as he was offended because his brother was in the army and in Iraq.

I think it is ironic that you cannot be associated with the defence forces and be pro peace.

The judges were not going to shitbag a Dan Karaty routine so they gushed over the dances and the choreography.

Jason Coleman did said they needed to “harness their energy in the last third”.

I thought the chorography was magnificent, I just would have liked to have seen better dancers perform it. Imagine if Danny and Kat, or Loredo and Talia had performed it. It would have totally gone off.

The judges thought it was OK, Jason was the most critical.

Gianne and BJ – hip hop – Britany Spears – Toy ShoulderI really like Tiana Joubert’s routines. I think they are much better than Nacho Pop’s. Now I know they probably choreograph different genres in this broad style of dance. Nacho’s is a more subtle hip hop style.

Giane I loved in this routine , she was not the greatest hip hop dancer, but her character was so strong and sexy, I barely looked at BJ. Matt Lee agreed with me and said she was the star of the performance.

Mary Murphy had a go about synchronicity between them. But she said Gianne had a real affinity for the style.

Penny and Charlie – Viennese Waltz – Whitney Houston – I Have NothingThe lighting was so dime I could barely see them. However all the judges gushed over this Jason Gilkison routine.

I am still not getting the Penny love but if you listen to the screams in the audience this couple are extremely popular.

Charlie managed to evoke the emotion and love of the dance, Penny did not appear to get into that dreamlike state. She was smiling way to much.

Jason Coleman praised her saying “Soft and lovely as that frock”. and “you guys are serious contenders in this competition.”

Once she is in the top 10 it will be interesting what her personal popularity will be.

Mary Murphy gushed over Penny and the routine.

Pania and Ben – Jazz – Kings of Leon – CrawlAt the start I thought I was going to really love this routine, but it just fell away for me half way through. Not sure if it was Aleeta Blackburn’s choreography or the dancers. Bonnie Lythogoe thought Pania had a few issues with the routine so maybe it was the dancer.

Jason C thought Pania’s problem was not trusting the choreographer.

Danny and Kat – Hip Hop – Smokey Robinson & The Miracles – The Tears of a Clown (Hotsnax Remix)I actually quite liked this Nacho Pop routine, maybe because it was a bit stronger, and I note a few disco moves in there so this could have been the reason. They did make an obvious blunder with one of the lifts but I don’t think it wrecked the routine.

Jason Coleman had a problem with the unison.

Mary screeched for the first time tonight, mainly for Kat.

Talia and Loredo – Salsa – The Potbelleez – Trouble TroubleHow fucking good was Talia? Her dance just said watch out bitches I am here to win the competition. For once I did not spend the whole routine looking at Loredo. The routine was choreographed by Oliver and Luda.

I noted how happy Talia looked in the pre-dance segment to have changed partners. I thought routine of the night.

Jason C said about ” I think you are a remarkable young dance.” and Loredo “Well tuned”.

Mary said the salsa left her cold, and criticised Loredo’s technique. But she did put Talia on the hot tamale train. Not sure if she meant it or if it was the last routine of the night and she had to put one of them on the train.

Bottom three predictions: Pania and Ben, Damien and Amy (however she does have the CFMEU voting for her, as her uncle works there), and Lamb and Timomatic.

I agree with your entire post! lol. No original thought of my own. I think Penny and Charlie should be in the bottom three, that was one of the crappiest waltzes I have seen on this show. Technique was awwwful.

OMG Talia and Loredo were MAGNIFICENT. That was freaking amazing. No idea what the hell was with Mary’s criticism of Loredo (especially after not bothering to criticise the waltz AT ALL), but I think her tamale ticket to Talia was genuine. I actually thought the one to Kat was pretty forced.

Talia and Loredo better not be in the bottom three, and if they don’t have Contemporary or Lyrical I will be so pissed off next week I don’t think I’ll be able to watch. It is fucking ridiculous that Talia hasn’t had ANYTHING in her specialty yet. And Loredo is due for something Lyrical.

OK, the girls…
Gianne was a big surprise, I didn’t expect her to get the moves but she did. Imagine how she’d be with another few weeks in that genre. Talia, wow, what amazing movement she has! I think Jason is really rooting for her too, which is making up for the poor partnering and lack of in-genre dances. I wanted Amy to do well tonight, I think she’ll struggle because it was the first routine in an overall underwhelming show. The Penny was a mess. The routine was really disjointed, not sure if it was the weird song arrangement or that neither dancer really extended each movement. Poor Pania, she really didn’t cope with a routine that required sexiness. And is this the first time burlesque has made it to a SYTYCD stage? And Kat’s trip on the tamale train was more of a pity trip. *sigh*

The guys…
They’re just not really doing it for me this year. Danny’s great but he just feels so not-quite-Rhys. I have to agree with the comments on Loredo, salsa is down and dirty and he seems too emotionally dark and brooding for it.

I hate salsa danced to rock songs. Salsa is syncopated for a start, rock isn’t. It’s so wrong. Sigh. I was just thinking: are the women stronger this year than the men – and someone else mentioned it above. I liked Danny and Kat’s routine – maybe the best. I could really do without Murphy – she and Bonnie barely have an entire sentence between them.